What PreSonus calls the MTM configuration — Mid woofer, Tweeter, Mid woofer — places two low frequency speakers on either side of a single tweeter in a long, low cabinet that delivers more speaker surface area than similarly sized cabinets. Several manufacturers offer variations on this design, which seems drawn from the built-in large scale studio monitors from professional recording facilities in the past.

Having already reviewed the Eris E44, I am impressed with the amount of bass coming from such a compact monitor. The PreSonus Eris E66 Active MTM Near Field Monitor kicks out even more. Not surprising, since the E66 provides about 35 percent more speaker surface to generate mid and low frequencies.

There is one compromise this design seems to present. The way the MTM arrangement reproduces bass is different from a conventional two-way monitor. Instead of one source for mid and low frequencies, there are now two, separated by about a speaker’s diameter, in this case, about 6.5 inches. Time alignment is a Big Deal when it comes to speaker design. There’s something in the way the Eris MTMs sound down low that makes me think that this a factor in play.

There is lots of bass, no problem there, but I find it a bit soft. That’s a rather vague term, and I completely admit it’s taste-based. To me, the lower midrange frequencies of both the E44 and E66 lack a bit of definition, whereas the Eris E5 and E8 seem punchy and distinct. Check with the next reviewer over, and they may find the E5 and E8 too harsh in the low end and the E44 and E66 round and natural. This is a particular quirk of the review process. PreSonus presents a series of four speakers in two design philosophies and inevitably each gets compared to the others while being held up against some writer’s taste. Meanwhile, all four designs sound good and likely each is the perfect choice for one user or another.

So, to discuss the E66, I’m going to concentrate on what it does well, because it does a lot well. All the Eris speakers do. Typically, we only use one set of monitors though. Let’s look at the reasons you might choose the E66.

Setup and Usability

The Eris series is not only very connectable, it’s very adjustable. These points alone make the line an attractive choice. The E66 is no different. As well as the standard IEC power connector, the monitor has audio input jacks for consumer equipment — an unbalanced RCA connector — and professional products — ¼-inch TRS phone and three-pin XLR balanced. This is a good spread. Many makers include only two of those three. Since active monitors need audio supplied with shielded cables, these three reasonably cover the gamut.

Where the real added value comes with the E66 is in the audio control offered on board. Two 3-position switches and two rotary knobs permit customization, whether it’s to compensate for the user’s taste or the monitor’s position in the room. The switches affect low frequency cut-off and wall/corner positioning. Those are fairly common on monitors in this price bracket, regardless of maker. Where PreSonus ups the ante is the two rotary controls that allow boost and cut for midrange and treble frequencies. While these are at fixed 1kHz and 10kHz points, they add up to ±6dB of bell curve equalization at those points, great spots to vary the overall characteristics in many situations. A typical bedroom studio may suffer from room modes that create a midrange spike that dropping the Mid Freq control on the E66 could tame. Similarly, a room with an abundance of absorbent surfaces, such as carpet, drapes and upholstered furniture, can often use an upward tweak of the High Freq knob on the E66 to restore a little brilliance.

This extra control is a very nice touch, particular for a user like me who likes the overall sound of the E66, but has a few concerns about specific performance characteristics.

Sound Quality

The first impression from the E66 is big and bold. Pumping 80 watts into the low frequency drivers and 65 watts into the tweeter, there’s lots of power, even when the back input gain control is set to its midpoint. There is a wow factor to the initial listen. The E66 is bright without harshness and the bottom end is deep and full.

The frequencies with which I have issue are those around where a floor tom or electric bass sit. The effect is almost like that of a room resonance, but that’s not quite it. It’s definitely a characteristic of the E66, and I think it probably works back to the fact that two speakers share the chore of moving mid and low frequencies in each cabinet, a weird time interaction.

As I mentioned, it’s not a horrible audio dysfunction, simply something I notice and that isn’t to my taste. In fact, it might actually be a good thing for certain types of music. One complaint I have with some contemporary dance music is that the deepest synth bass and drums often seem apart from the rest of the music, a foundation upon which the rest of the house sits, but doesn’t quite match. With what I’ll call the sonic blur of the E66, that audio seam doesn’t seem as unseemly. There’s a smoothing effect that’s quite flattering in the genre.

The same characteristic annoys me when listening to orchestral music. Timpani sound clear and crisp. Violins, flutes and upper register brass come through without any harshness. Deep cello and contrabass, though, tend to mush together. There’s not a feeling of distinct and discreet instruments as there is with the ultra low and higher frequency ranges. Jazz quartet sounds amazing and life-like. Rock really depends on the particular track. Alan Parsons and Donald Fagen reproduce well. Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard exhibit a bit of the blur.

What is really amazing with the E66, however, is the clarity and expanse of the stereo picture a pair of these produce. Whether mounted on their sides as intended, or upright, which is not discouraged, whether in a traditional equilateral nearfield triangle or with the E66s tighter in an isosceles arrangement, the stereo image is very distinct, almost exaggerated. I sometimes had the feeling of sounds originating beyond the speaker locations to the sides.

One thought occurred late in my testing, so I didn’t fully examine it before running off to write my review. And that was how the E66 sonic blur would respond to increased speaker isolation. Most of my listening occurred with the E66 mounted on a commercial mixing desk. The monitors sat directly on the shelf designed for that purpose. Adding acoustic isolation pads under the E66s does seem to reduce the sonic blur effect, but more notably, it enhanced the already notable stereo field. I can see these monitors being a go-to mid-priced monitor for audio-visual use. Directionality is outstanding. I would have thought that the extra drivers would actually muddy the stereo picture. They do not. If this stereo picture feature is the trade off for the sonic blur, it’s a fair trade for sure.

Build Quality

Vinyl laminate over MDF is pretty much de rigeur for active monitors in this price range. At 23 lbs., the Eris E66 is a substantial monitor in weight, while modest in dimensions. Still, at a little over 18 inches wide, these things take up 3 feet from side to side when placed together. Optimal arrangement seems to be the equilateral triangle with the cabinets angled to the listening position.

Protection built into the E66 includes a mains fuse, thermal protection against overheating, RF shielding, subsonic and transient filtering and a limiter for output current. Between the solid build and the internal protection, you’re not likely to kill this monitor with reasonable or even slightly excessive audio demands.

User Reviews

Once again, many of the Eris product user reviews appear lumped in together, so it’s difficult to pinpoint which precisely apply the E66 when it’s not named specifically. Those I could substantiate as speaking directly about the E66 scored an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The best of the negative reviews also had problems with the low and low-mid frequency range, but seemed quite a bit more bothered by it than I am. Overall, there are no additional concerns or issues generated by user reviews.

Conclusion

If you’re mixing in a small room, the E66 may be too much speaker, with enough bass output to excite room modes. Usually excitement is good. In this case, perhaps not so much. If you like the sound of the E66, but are stuck with a tiny room, the E44 is worth a listen.

The price/value equation is reasonable. PreSonus has a great reputation because they make good products. Where monitors are concerned, not every monitor appeals to every ear. It’s up to you to decide what you like, then find the product that makes you smile. The PreSonus Eris E66 Active MTM Near Field Monitor is a solid contender with some great features and it has a place on many people’s monitor short list.

PreSonus is one of the names coming out of the home recording boom that’s become synonymous with quality. Some manufacturers have their hits and misses, but PreSonus always seems to bring something to the plate with every release.

With the PreSonus Eris E4.5 Studio Monitor pair, you get a very presentable and affordable self-powered monitor system. At its price point the Eris E4.5 is probably a top performer in its price class.

However, to me, this is a rare weak pitch from PreSonus. There’s an impression that the E4.5 version of the Eris line is an afterthought. The problem started on PreSonus’ web page for the E4.5. Someone dropped a ball someplace. There’s no “Front-firing acoustic port,” such as the E5 sports. The E4.5 has a conventional round port on the back. The Overview boasts 50 watts bi-amped, but the specs show 25 watts, not bi-amped. Since the E4.5 has the amp built into the left speaker and a single pair of connectors to the right speaker using regular speaker wire, there’s no way the right speaker could be bi-amped. The E5 version is 80 watts and bi-amped. There are two different design philosophies at work here. By combining these in a single product line, there’s a rise in expectations for the E4.5 that might be unfair — the E5 is pretty much twice the price — but PreSonus may be a victim of their own success here.

The Eris E4.5 does have a role to play. These could be the translation check monitors, a second set to confirm the validity of mixes on different speakers. Entry level home studios could do worse than the E4.5. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad pair. It just doesn’t put my whelm over, if you can dig it.

Setup Usability

The Eris E4.5 comes in a paired system. Most connections happen on the Left speaker since the amplification for both speakers is inside it. The back of the Right speaker has a standard speaker wire connector and an acoustic port, nothing else. The left side has ¼-inch balanced TRS connectors for both left and right signal, as well as unbalanced RCA left and right for consumer equipment. Speaker wire output to the right side is here, and of course there’s the power connector. Around the front, there’s the on/off switch, volume control and two ⅛-inch jacks. One provides a headphone connection and the other an auxiliary audio input. There’s reasonable flexibility for inputs and outputs.

Also on the back of the left side are two knobs and two switches. The knobs fine-tune midrange and high frequency response, while one switch adjusts low frequency cutoff, handy for use with a subwoofer. The second switch alters the output of the pair based on how the speakers are located when in use.

If the arrangement strikes you as more high-end computer speakers and less low-end home studio, it’s not that uncommon an arrangement, but it does, definitely, earmark the Eris E4.5 at the low-end spectrum.

Sound Quality

The speakers do sound pretty good for what they are. I haven’t had the chance to use the larger speakers in the Eris product line. The wide and narrow front firing acoustic port intrigues me, but the Eris E4.5 doesn’t offer it. The round, rear-mounted plenum on the back isn’t uncommon. JBL uses the same design for some of its powered monitors, with mixed success.

The problem with a small woofer and a rear-firing port has to do with bass support. Placement becomes so critical to the overall sound of the speaker that it’s difficult to recommend a small monitor system without hearing it in place. Certainly, I got a decent sound with the E4.5 in a tight nearfield configuration. The mixing location was away from the wall, so I left the Acoustic Space switch at 0 dB and the Low Cutoff at the Flat position. Acoustic music and light classics sounded quite good, open and airy. Sometimes the tweeters in desktops can get harsh. That wasn’t the case here. Low frequencies reproduced better than I expected and, for music that isn’t particularly bass heavy, the Eris E4.5 does PreSonus proud.

There’s a lot of music that is bass heavy, and there, the E4.5 shows its shortcomings. By Presonus’ own questionable data on the E4.5, frequency response at the low end bottoms out at 70 Hz. The rear port makes that seem even higher, since the low frequency content of audio out the rear port has room and time to spread out. It’s a gentle bottom end, one definitely not suited to dance music, and one that’s not particularly convincing for harder rock in some cases either.

Build Quality

I can’t diss the build of the Eris E4.5 much. It’s tricky, with the amp in one speaker and not the other, to match the output of both. I didn’t get the sense that one side was different than the other. PreSonus has done an admirable job of protecting the E4.5, provided of course that all protections listed on the web page are indeed integrated in the build. There is indeed a mains fuse. Other features listed include radio interference protection, current limiting on the output to the right speaker, thermal protection against overheating, transient limiting and a subsonic filter to remove audio values below those the speakers can reproduce. In short, it’s not likely you can blow up a set of Eris E4.5s without explosives.

User Reviews

There are a lot of user reviews for the Eris E4.5 and a big subset of those say good things about the model. It’s important to keep in mind that speaker sound is extremely subjective. It’s possible you’ll listen to the E4.5 and think I’m crazy. You may not even be wrong there. Many people think these are just fine.

There are some recurring complaints in the negative reviews about buzzing, noise and other “this just ain’t right” stuff. Enough to warrant mention here. As with many situations, I didn’t experience the same problems as the users, but I had the speakers for a matter of hours, while users have them for much longer. If you’re not ready to submit to kismet, research your purchase. Check the speakers thoroughly when they arrive. Use the manufacturer’s advice to make connections and use the monitors as intended. Ultimately, if you’re happy with your monitors, nothing anyone else says matters.

Conclusion

For under $200, this is a competent set of monitors for an entry level studio, or as an auxiliary set for checking mix translation. For best results, keep the Eris E4.5 monitors close. Play with the tuning options on the back of the speaker to address any deficiencies you perceive. You may well add your name to the list of happy E4.5 owners.

If you’re after booty-shaking beats, all is not lost, as the E4.5 will likely pair with the subwoofer of your choice, one way or another. While it’s probably not the best bet for EDM, if you’re not making music at the moment, and you can spring for the E4.5 to get your studio in gear tomorrow, do it and get grooving. The PreSonus Eris E4.5 Studio Monitorswon’t likely make the bottom of anyone’s active monitor list either.

Having previously reviewed the LSR305(Review Here), JBL’s 5-inch woofer version of the LSR series, there was a temptation to review the LSR308, the 8-inch woofer design. While overall, I was impressed with the LSR305, it had some limitations that detracted from it as an all-purpose monitor. Those reservations aren’t there with the JBL LSR308 Active Studio Monitors. While maintaining the same physical design principles, the larger woofer in the LSR308 move it into the general purpose category.

There are still compromises, of course, as there are with any buying decision. Studio monitors all have their strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to the LSR 3 series monitor design, JBL placed a priority in wide dispersion of the tweeter. There’s something about this that works really well. Both the LSR305 and 308 voice with clarity and articulation. Many user reviews talk about details they hadn’t heard before with other monitors. This is my experience too. More on that dispersion thing in a moment.

The failing of the LSR305 was that it doesn’t, on its own, pump out the amounts of bass some music genres require. There are reasons for this, design decisions, and JBL has a dedicated 3 Series subwoofer that Hear the Music previously reviewed. I prefer to record without the hyped bottom that subwoofers provide. Get something sounding danceable on a pair of monitors and it will be great on any system and amazing when you get it in a dance club. So for me, the LSR305 isn’t a good choice for dance mixing. The LSR308 addresses this directly by virtue of its larger woofer. And on that, also more in a moment.

The LSR308 takes a decent active monitor idea and reaches “great all-around performer” level. In terms of of value for the money, JBL hits it out of the park. There are still some users who will prefer other monitors, but that can be said about the other monitors too. If you have $500 to spend on monitors, it will be hard to beat the LSR308. If you have $1,000 to spend, get a pair of LSR308s and some funky stuff with the money you save.

Setup and Usability

No surprises here. Both XLR and ¼-inch TRS inputs supply the audio. While ¼-inch TS, also called unbalanced connectors, can be used, don’t be surprised if you notice increased hiss. Active speakers are a different game than passive speakers and amps. Without balanced connections, active speakers can’t remove noise induced in the audio signal. Conventional speakers have a high level, amplified signal hitting the cabinets. Active speakers do that work inside. Some people think that active speakers are inherently more noisy than passives. Nuh uh. It’s the input signal, in most cases, and the way it’s delivered to the active speaker.

There are high and low frequency adjustment switches on the back of the LSR308, as well as a professional/consumer level switch. These help tune the LSR308 to both your room and your equipment.

Sound Quality

Sound does not disperse evenly across the frequency spectrum. In a very simple nutshell, low frequencies spread like blood on the floor in a horror flick, going everywhere with speed and gory efficiency. High frequencies are the audio equivalent of a laser blaster. Straight and deadly. If you’re an inch out of their path, you’re safe.

Well straight and deadly is great for lasers, but less so for musical content. The first thing you may notice about the LSR 3 series is the big, honkin’ rectangle around the tweeter. The high frequency speaker itself is not particularly notable at 1 inch in diameter. The “image control waveguide” is the funky shape around the tweeter’s dome. That shape is an acoustic coupler. You have this little 1-inch speaker vibrating at the high speeds of high frequency. It doesn’t transfer efficiently to the air surrounding the HF speaker. This waveguide business guides the wave — don’t ask me how I figured that out — in such a way that it improves motion-to-sound energy transfer.

And it really works. With some monitors, if you turn your head even a little, the stereo illusion falls apart, everything sounds different and all your friends hate you. Turn your head back and there’s your mix again, in full glory. Your friends still hate you. Or perhaps that just happens to me. I need new friends.

Forgetting them for a moment, however, this coupling permits a fairly wide range of motion within what we call the sweet spot — where everything sounds good and your center-panned sounds are in the middle. Our ears expect high frequencies to define the ‘where’ of music, using those laser beam characteristics. The image control waveguide actually feels as though it makes a 3-D sweet spot, rather than a singular point. That, in a much larger nutshell, makes the LSR 3 speakers impressive.

The bass delivery, compared with the LSR305, is simple math. Remember that Pi R Squared thing from high school that you’ve never applied in real life? Get ready campers, here it is!

Sound is about moving air. When speakers are making sound, they’re simply moving air in a controlled series of vibrations. High frequencies don’t take a lot of energy. Their waves are tiny, easy to manipulate.

Bass, on the other hand, requires cranking lots of air. Let’s look at the LSR305. With a 5-inch woofer, it has a 2.5-inch radius. You remember that radius is equal to half the diameter, right? Thought so, good. So we multiply that by itself to get 6.25, which we then multiply by Pi, or 3.14159265358979, give or take a few decimal places. That gives me a surface area for the woofer of about 19.64 square inches. We will conveniently ignore the fact that speakers are conical, rather than flat, trusting that JBL’s engineers can handle that sort of thing.

The LSR308, with a radius of 4 and a squared radius of 16 has an area of 50.27 square inches when multiplied by Pi. That means an LSR308 has over two and one-half times the surface area of an LSR305, according to our admittedly flawed calculation. It’s not simply the little change between a 5-inch and 8-inch woofer. It’s surface area.

Using these same calculations you can establish that a large pizza is always a better buy than a medium pizza. Who says math is useless in real life?

There is still a bit of concern about this rear-firing port. Look to the review of the LSR305 to understand the design considerations for the rear port. To my ears, it gives a nice, even, natural dispersion to subsonic frequencies that supports the increased bass from the woofer. Dance and electronic music users may not want natural. Compared with my usual monitors, which have a front-firing port, the LSR308s are noticeably more natural. However, clarity on low frequency effects for a surround sound project are less distinct, less in your face.

And of course the rear facing port means you shouldn’t place the LSR308s against a wall. These monitors need room for the port sound to escape.

Build Quality

The LSR308 is a nice sturdy 19 lbs. Its build is on par with speakers twice the price. The LSR305 had a number of user reviews indicating quality control issues. These are absent from the LSR308 reviews, and I experienced no problem with the test pair I used.

As with any near field monitor, I recommend isolated speaker stands or isolation pads for improving stereo imaging and reducing acoustic coupling with your room.

User Reviews

Based on over 140 reviews, fewer than half the number the LSR305 has, the LSR308 carries a 4.8 out of 5 star rating across the reviews. The worst user review was very funny. The user went to great pains to establish themselves as a rich, discerning user who collects monitors just because they can. The user dissed the LSR308 because one came with a “broken” XLR connector. Did WunderUser return the speaker for a working one? Nope. Just lived with it and bitched online. This is not a rich, discerning user. This is an idiot. If you spend $500 on monitors and they arrive “broken,” you return them for a working set. So there’s one review you can toss out of the mix. It’s “broken.”

Conclusion

Without doing a round-up of a wide selection of $500 per pair active studio monitors, it’s hard to say that the LSR308 is the best out there. However, it’s probably a contender. Admittedly, I’m not an electronic or dance music guru. I do, however, touch on the genres in soundtrack work. I think if I was working in that field full time, I’d prefer monitors with a front-firing port.

Since a range of music styles come across my mixing desk, the LSR308s are very tempting. These fit well within the definitions of all-purpose monitors, no matter how you finesse the way you define that. Take a serious look, even if you have $2,000 to spend on monitors. The JBL LSR308 Studio Monitor is a serious contender.

Let me start by saying something that will go over far too many heads. However, if I can bring one person over from the dark side, it will be worth it.

That thing is, “Volume does not equal Quality.”

Okay, it’s said. If at any point in your music life someone says, “this is better because it’s louder,” you can immediately dismiss pretty much any opinion they share. Loudness is a need in certain circumstances, yes. So is horsepower. To get from point A to point B efficiently and legally, there is no difference between a 454-horsepower muscle car engine and an import with a sewing machine engine, provided the sewing machine can achieve local speed limits.

Yes, there are some aspects of having the extra power available, and speakers have a similar consideration. However, when one speaker model in a certain class isn’t as loud as the next one, it’s not inherently bad.

I lead with this because the JBL LSR305 active studio monitor is not loud for its class. It does, though, sound terrific. And yes, it does sound much better than many of its louder partners.

On the face of it, the quality of sound for the price tag is an amazing cost-to-performance ratio, provided the LSR305 suits your needs. Not everyone needs a muscle car. This is an excellent speaker for those who don’t need to knock themselves senseless with loud. There are, though, some genres of music for which I don’t recommend the LSR305. Read on to learn more.

Setup and Usability

The LSR305 is an active, rear-ported two-way studio monitor. Connections are standard for a studio monitor configuration. Each speaker requires a wall plug to power the internal amp. Audio input uses either a three-pin XLR or a balanced TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼-inch phone plug. TS (tip-sleeve) can be used also at risk of added noise due to the unbalanced connection.

The LSR305 includes an Input Sensitivity switch on the back panel, selecting between +4dBu and -10dBV. For the uninitiated, the former is the typical level of professional audio gear, while the latter is common with consumer electronics. It’s a nice feature. However, the lack of typical consumer connectors seems at odds with the sensitivity switch. There are no RCA jacks that one would usually associate with consumer gear.

Some sound tailoring is possible with LF and HF trim switches. Standing for Low Frequency and, you guessed it, High Frequency, these three-position switches have -2, 0 and +2 dB selections. This offers a bit of tuning. If the speakers aren’t putting out as much bass as you’d like, for example, flick the LF switch to the +2dB side for an extra boost. The speaker volume control and on/off switch round out the back panel amenities.

The LSR305 is a classic near field monitoring speaker, meaning that optimal listening has a pair of LSR305 arranged in an equilateral triangle, pointing toward the third point. That’s where you stick your head. This has become a de facto monitoring standard, even for pro studios with monitors built into walls, a design called soffit-mounting. Keep a distance of 3 to 6 feet between triangle points, adjust away from a perfect equilateral arrangement if your mixing room forces it, and you can get a good representation of audio signal with relatively little influence from the room.

Sound Quality

Once hooked up, the LSR305s start to shine. Yes, they are quieter than the 5-inch active monitors I usually use. Right off the bat, my usual monitors (name withheld to protect the innocent) have a port in the front. Thus, all the horsepower of my regular pair faces forward. The LSR305s send ported sound out the back.

Since the out of phase sound exits the back, JBL uses a smaller port tube and lets distance and dispersion correct the phase issue. Less tube means less tube resonance. It also means that the room becomes a much more important part of the way the LSR305 sounds. My first impression is of a silky, airy sound, compared with the usual monitors. For acoustic music, light chambers, Vivaldi concertos, etc., these are ideal for the sound. The rear porting, rather than dispersing the stereo field, seems to enhance it, spreading the effects without audible peaks or hotspots.

Switching to power rock or electronica and the front-firing port is suddenly missing. The deep oomph is there, but it’s not in your face. The LSR305 rates down to 43 Hz, according to JBL’s specs. You see 20 Hz as the lower limit quoted by so many manufacturers that it’s almost novelty to see a different number there. The same people who tell you louder is better will likely also bemoan the 43 Hz number as not low enough. Many, many engineers roll off frequencies aggressively below 100 Hz, except for the few instruments that really generate signal down there. The fact is, most all of the subsonics are going to mush up below 60 Hz or so. Response to 43 Hz usually is not a factor.

Remember the rear-firing port, however. When you’re looking for punch to that 43 Hz content, it can’t be dispersed without augmentation. So the LSR305 kind of disappoints in the dance music direction. The sound can be saved with a subwoofer. JBL makes a subwoofer in the LSR3 series, the LSR310S, (reviewed here). I’m not a fan of adding subs to a studio setup, so therefore I would not run to the LSR305 as a monitor for any genre where deep subsonics reign, or for soundtrack work where low frequency effects are important. There’s just not enough detail in the lows because of the decision to have a rear facing port.

Build Quality

So why a rear facing port, you might ask. The LSR305’s face is all business. There’s the 5-inch woofer and the dispersion plate of the tweeter. Oh, sorry. That’s not a dispersion plate, it’s JBL’s Revolutionary Image Control Waveguide. You may detect a slightly sardonic tone, the kind I typically save for marketing departments who might call a bottle of water a “dihydrous oxide in a next-generation containment system.” Despite the descriptive malarkey, water is still good for you. Whatever JBL’s marketers call it, that waveguide thingy does spread upper frequencies around with some nice clarity.

The thing is big, however. The entire cabinet size for the LSR305 would require drastic change for a front-firing port. Part of the plan for the LSR305 is, I believe, its compact size. Remember, they do have a matching subwoofer to sell also.

We’ve already had that argument. There’s nothing amiss anywhere with the build of the LSR305, not that I can see. However, there are the user reviews.

User Reviews

This is a very well-reviewed speaker. I sorted through at least 350 reviews. Even with all those reviews, the LSR305 maintains a 4.5 out of 5 star rating. That’s one heck of a lot of satisfied users.

There are a notable number of quality issues. Many of them, noise and distortion in particular, that can be dismissed as user errors. Gain staging, incorrect connections and unrealistic expectations — one user complained that only one speaker arrived after he ordered… one speaker — can’t be blamed on JBL. When speakers don’t work out of the box or fail after a short period of use, perhaps you can blame JBL. It’s difficult to establish normal levels of failure through user reviews, particularly when some products get 350 reviews and others get 35.

As always, this bit of noise regarding failures should serve as a reminder to investigate warranties, test products as they arrive and get right on the repair or replacement procedures the moment things go wrong.

Conclusion

The JBL LSR305 Active Studio Monitor is not for everyone. Though, at $150 per speaker it does expand the “everyone” circle a fair bit. If you’ve never heard music from studio monitors before, you’ll like the LSR305 regardless of genre. For a user whose work is largely guitar-and-voice, singer-songwriting or similar acoustic music, they’ll probably never know the LSR305 has any deficiencies. It really is a phenomenal value when comparing price and performance. When you need killer subsonics, though, this is not your speaker unless you’re comfortable adding a subwoofer. If you’re okay with that, then the price of the LSR305 is hard to beat.

Introduction

I’ve mentioned previously that I’m not a fan of subwoofers in the studio, since they can accidentally prop up a mix that is missing bottom end. I’m also over 25 and I don’t mix a lot of dance music. Subs are more important to others, so, putting biases aside, I went at this Cerwin Vega sub. The company has a long-standing good reputation, to the point that I’d be surprised to be disappointed with a piece of CV gear. I’m not disappointed, really. I’m more confused. The XD8s is called a “studio subwoofer” in its Amazon listing (“studio” does not appear in CV’s own marketing). Since the focus of this website is home recording, this sub needs evaluation in that context.

Setup/Usability

Whomever added the word “studio” to this sub has done a disservice. Looking at the back, it’s immediately clear that the XD8s is not intended to be a studio sub. Connections are by way of ¼-inch phone plug or standard RCA audio connectors.

As with most active system subwoofers these days, the sound source connects to the inputs of the sub, then the outputs supply the main speakers. The XD8s includes a tethered remote that controls overall system volume and provides a sub mute switch. A nice touch is the 1/8-inch audio input jack on the remote, meaning you could plug your smart phone, tablet or MP3 player in without a trip around the back. The remote doesn’t have a control to set sub level though. That requires a trip around the back. There’s also something a little regressive seeing a wired remote control in this day and age. I guess it makes it harder to lose.

In addition, there are a few controls I would expect to see on a studio sub. There’s a four-setting crossover, volume knob for sub balance and a polarity switch, about which we will talk more in Sound Quality.

Sound Quality

Cerwin Vega is known for loudness. The company motto is “The LOUD Speaker Company.” I’ll throw this disclaimer out, that I am not testing the XD8s with the CV system speakers it was designed to accompany. However, its connections are standard ones, so there must be an expectation that this sub will be mixed and matched with other systems.

The sound is adequate, I suppose, if you consider the XD8s’s design as a computer sound system enhancement. There’s a lot of bass, enough to rattle everything on my desk at relatively low settings. However, it’s muffled and definitely biased to the left.

The moment I looked at the grilled speaker on the side of the cabinet I expected trouble. Low frequencies generate some pretty large waves, and because of that, the human can’t distinguish where these originate as well as it can mid and high frequencies. For front or down-firing subs (meaning the speaker points forward or to the floor), subs can be placed substantially off-center without affecting audio staging, where sounds seem to come from. For example, if you are watching a movie where a tank drives across the screen, your brain will take the visual suggestion and the sounds that come from your left and right speakers and it will sound as though the tank is moving, even though the low-frequency effects coming from the sub is off to one side.

Most reasonably sized subs are ported. That is, they have an opening that allows air pressure inside the cabinet to escape. There are closed designs, but these aren’t as common. On the XD8s, the port faces the front. The amount of sound emerging from the port is a fraction of that exiting the speaker grill. No matter what I tried in terms of both placement and listening position, the low frequency sounds favored the left. It wasn’t major and many people may not notice or care. However, a good sub blends with the main speakers, it doesn’t call attention to itself. I was always aware of this sub’s contribution. That’s a fail in my books.

Playing with both the crossover frequencies and the polarity switch did change both the muffled character and the obviousness of the side-firing speaker. It changed, but it didn’t cure. It’s not a horribly bad sound. If you’re upgrading from a plastic computer speaker system, or adding to a home theater surround-sound array, this could be quite a nice addition. For $200, however, I think you could be impressed with a cheaper alternative.

NOTE: The polarity switch electronically changes the direction of the speaker’s in/out movement. If a sound makes a speaker move out and then in, flipping this switch will make the speaker move in and then out. This affects the timing of sounds arriving at your ear. To use this switch, also called a phase switch, simply listen to your system and then flick the switch. If the bass sounds more full, leave the switch there. If not, or it’s about the same, flick the switch back.

Build Quality

No complaints here. This is a solid MDF cabinet weighing 18.5 lbs. unpacked and 22.1 lbs. shipping weight. It will stay where you put it, always a good trait for a sub. The box resembles a desktop computer tower in shape and dimensions. It’s compact for a sub, meant for under-desk use. If you decide to buy the XD8s, you won’t be disappointed by its build.

User Reviews

Amazon reviews are a bit confusing because reviews for the complete CV speaker system are included. Sorting through to get comments on the XD8s alone, I found that my experience is consistent with other users, particularly those giving 3 ratings. Those most happy with the XD8s seem to use it in home theaters, home stereos and computer sound applications.

Conclusion

That says it all. Home theaters, home stereos and computer sound applications. The XD8s is not the right build nor does it have the right sound qualities for an effective home studio application. If you want a subwoofer that was specifically designed for home music recording uses, read my review of the JBL LSR310S Powered Studio Subwoofer.

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